enquiry on behalf of bigglenn84 T5S and SPS

Steve's always standin up for the little guy! I agree i have a 4 bulb T5 and if I actually dosed I think i would have good growth!. My fastest growing coral is a superman digi on the sand partially shaded by a frag rack if you can believe that lol!

 

I have a Current USA 6x54W T5 fixture on my 120G tank running the following bulbs front to back:

UVL Super Actinic
Giesemann Aquablue +
Giesemann Actinic +
Giesemann Actinic +
UVL Aquasun ("pink bulb")
Giesemann Aquablue +

Here are some photos of some SPS frags that I took on March 10 this year, and a photo I took just a few days ago. The frags in the first picture are about 1-1.5" wide. The second picture, the corals have grown to 4-5" across. This is what growth looks like for 7 months with this fixture.

I have to say though, that the corals really started taking off when I stabilized my system with a calcium reactor about 6 months ago. The key to SPS growth, IMO is a combination of ph and salinity stability, good Alk/Calcium levels, and lighting. I feed my tank a ton of food as well (1-3 cubes per night).

Also, once corals hit a growth spurt, they seem to get larger exponentially, so what has easily quadrupled in size in 7 months will probably quadruple again in another 7 months or so, as long as parameters remain constant.

So, is it possible to grow SPS with a T5 only fixture? I'll let you be the judge... ;D

 

Ug, i hate clown gobies... wait is that a yellow watchman? PS: great corals grats!

 

thanks! and sorry to sidetrack, but I love my little yellow clown goby so much, I have to defend him... He is a Gobiodon okinawae....

Doesn't eat corals as far as I can tell, and if it is, it sure hasn't put even the slightest dent in mine!

It's barely an inch long, is one of the friendliest fish I own, and readily eats frozen foods.

I have read the studies done to the gut content of "clown gobies" but the studies were NOT species specific, and I think that in order to determine that ALL clown gobies eat coral, another study that is species specific needs to be made.

I believe the Gobiodon citrinus, Gobiodon atrangulatus, and Gobiodon strangulatus ARE coral eaters and the ones you have to watch out for, as anyone who reports a clown goby eating coral has one of these, but I have never heard of a single confirmed report of a Gobiodon okinawae eating coral.

I believe that the coral may get something from the gobies being there, maybe helping with rotting tissue or food particles that are stuck on the branches. mine stays in the pink birdsnest almost constantly, only to come out and feed or say hi. when it does, it usually perches on one of the other corals... it's been a great addition to the tank.

 

I'm sure it is possible to grow sps.... In my specific case, I went with a 4x54 fixture. Even though I have good bulbs (Griesham and UVL) I can't seem to see the growth other people get with their MH's or bigger T5's. Like a 6 or 8 bulb one. I need an upgrade!!

- Mag.

 

This makes me so happy to see, I have the same fixture on my 72 and am hoping to keep a couple SPS.

Tank looks great BTW, K+!

 

Thanks! I know a lot of folks dog the current usa fixtures, but I've had great results with mine... I'm really glad I didn't spend the extra $$ on a more expensive one. ;D

 

I think it's also worth mentioning that I run a 10/12 hour photo period with "blues" on from 12:30-12:30 and "daylights" on from 1:30-11:30. ;D

 

bump

bigglenn84 - hope your found this now, with the link I sent

Steve

 

to everboby

i thank everybody for want they have to say on my t5 guestion. steve ur the best thanks for all the help and im still tryin to firgure out how to post my thread new to this whole cumputer stuff